Jaguar F-Type: the first picture

It won’t be officially revealed until the Paris Motor Show next week, but for now, here’s your very first look at the long-awaited Jaguar F-Type.

Following an internet leak, this morning Jaguar released this single picture of its 911 rival, closely based on that C-X16 concept which wowed us all back at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011.

No more information is forthcoming as yet, although we do know the finished car – the latest work from Jaguar design director Ian Callum – will feature two engines: a new supercharged 3 litre V6, and a new supercharged 5 litre V8. And as this video shows, we also know the V6 is going to sound fantastic…

The new rear-wheel drive Jag will initially launch as a soft-top early next year, with a coupe to follow in 2014.

We’ve always been a fan of the E-Type here at TopGear, and we’ll have more exclusive access for you on its successor in the coming days… But for now you can catch more details on the F-Type in our Anniversary issue, which would be on stands early next week.